Smart Home

That’s according to 9to5Google. As it happens, Android 15 may support directly controlling smart home devices with your phone via Thread, a key component of the Matter smart home protocol.

Pixel 9 phones wouldn’t be alone — Apple put Thread radios in the iPhone 15 Pro phones, too.

The company tells us an update for the Philips Hue Bridge, which addresses the issue that caused lights to randomly turn to full brightness, is now available and rolling out over the next few days.

If you have automatic updates on you don’t need to do anything, otherwise you can manually install the update through the Hue app when it’s available.

Mishaal Rahman reports that Android 15 adds a Thread Network Stack to allow Android smartphones with Thread radios to directly control Thread smart home devices.

But there aren’t any such phones yet. Only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have Thread. With the Pixel 9 launching next month, that could soon change.

According to reports from beta testers, the new InSight feature announced at WWDC has appeared in the latest developer beta of iOS 18 and tvOS 18.

InSight pops up details about actors, characters, and songs appearing onscreen in original Apple TV Plus shows. These also show on your iPhone, from where it appears to be easy to add songs to your library. Neat.

Apparently, the company messed up something with its Matter implementation, causing some lights to randomly turn up to full brightness. But they’ve identified the problem, and an update should be rolling out this week.

Dyson, which employs around 15,000 people worldwide, told workers about the cuts on Tuesday, according to a report from the Financial Times.

“We have grown quickly and, like all companies, we review our global structures from time to time to ensure we are prepared for the future,” Dyson CEO Hanno Kirner said in a statement obtained by FT.

The Aqara U200 replaces your existing lock and comes with a wireless keypad, which you can tap with an iPhone or Apple Watch for easy unlocking.

It’s now available to buy on Amazon and works with European and UK locks, as well as US deadbolts. It uses Thread, is Matter-compatible, and has fingerprint and PIN code access.

I’ll have a review soon.

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The new Echo Spot looks like an intriguing option for a bedside smart display, thanks to Amazon’s decision to ditch the camera with this iteration.

The $80 smart speaker competes against the Google Nest Hub and the Echo Show 5. but the Nest takes up a lot of real estate, and the Show has a camera. Will the Spot be just right? I’ll have a review soon.

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Apple’s smart home efforts could use both a smarter Siri and a smart display, and we may soon get both.

MacRumors has discovered code that indicates Apple is working on a new HomeAccessory 17,1 that could be powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence.

Existing HomePods seem unlikely to be able to support the AI, so new smart home hardware seems inevitable.

It might be because the heat index is 110 degrees, but the new GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra has been a huge hit in my house.

I’ve been testing the smart nugget ice maker for a week, and its ability to make a full batch of ice in 10 minutes is impressive. But for $630, you have to really love chewable ice. I’ll have a review soon.

Now that both Samsung and Apple have promised support for robot vacuums through Matter (Samsung SmartThings will support them this summer and Apple Home later this year), I’ve rounded up a list of robo vacs with Matter support, along with info on how they’ll work in your platform of choice.

Get all the details in the FAQ section of my robot vacuum buying guide.

SwitchBot claims its new Water Leak Detector can not only alert you to leaks and drips but also monitor water levels, thanks to an optional immersion cable.

This sounds handy for warning you if your fish tank is draining, your bathtub is too full, or your sump pump levels are rising. It doesn't need a hub, works over Wi-Fi, and costs $17.99 ($19.99 with the cable).

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